- Is Genesis preparing hybrid models?
The Hyundai luxury brand is still fresh on the market, and there's one type of powertrain it has never offered: hybrid. However, according to a report from Korea Economic Daily, that may be about to change.
In fact, due to a global slowdown in demand for electric vehicles, Genesis could start offering hybrid powertrains across its entire lineup as early as next year.
It should be noted that everything is still at the rumour stage at this point, and even if the news turns out to be true, it doesn't mean that Canada will be getting a model. The news is still very much in its early stages, and we'll have to see what happens next.
However, the paper cites "industry sources" to support its claims. According to them, the development of hybrid variants of existing Genesis products began at the end of last year, and the vehicles are expected to be marketed in 2025. According to the sources, these would be traditional hybrids, not plug-in solutions. The vehicles would use the group's 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine rather than the 1.6-liter turbo 4-cylinder found in the Hyundai Tucson, Elantra and Santa Fe hybrids.
The daily claims that the first Genesis models to be converted to hybrids would be the G80 sedan and the GV70 compact SUV, two creations that are both offered with a gasoline engine but have also been converted to be all-electric.
Initially, Genesis only offered gasoline models, but quickly stated that it would only introduce all-electric solutions starting in 2025. If the reported news is confirmed, we're talking about a significant change in direction.
Recently, we've seen other manufacturers revise their strategies, whether it's Mercedes-Benz promising to keep its combustion engines active for longer, or GM mentioning that it will reintroduce plug-in hybrids to the market.
The Drive website contacted a Genesis spokesperson. Here is what they had to say to the publication:
"Genesis remains committed to advancing its electrification plans and being a leader in the era of electrification, but we remain flexible based on market conditions and consumer demand. For now, our product lineup is focused on all-electric vehicles and internal combustion engine models. We do not have any updates to share regarding other powertrains at this time."
A political response, to be sure, but one that leaves the door open.
We will follow this case closely.